Suddenly, whatever Indy 4 grossed or what DVDs come out today seem not to matter in light of the passing yesterday of the gifted director and actor Sydney Pollack, one of true gents in a movie industry notable for the absence of what Sydney had—humor, warmth and a non-showy way of letting his talent out. Sure, he won an Oscar for directing Out of Africa, and his 1982 Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman in a dress deserved that year's Best Picture golden boy way more than the solemn, self-important winner, Gandhi. But the open secret about Sydney Pollack was that he was the go-to guy in Hollywood for a filmmaker in a bind. Pollack and his Mirage Enterprises producing partner Anthony Minghella—both dead from cancer within two months of each other—were always there to help other directors realize their vision.
I had a habit of annoying Sydney whenever he announced a new directing project.
"Are you acting in it?" I'd ask. Every since Tootsie, in which Pollack played the agent to Hoffman's out-of-work actor, I have been jazzed by Pollack's work in front of the camera. He's hilarious in Tootsie, seing Hoffman in a skirt and heels for the first time and saying, "Oh, God, I begged you to get some therapy."
Later, Pollack would act, brilliantly, for Woody Allen in Husbands and Wives, Stanley Kubrick in Eyes Wide Shut," and most recently with his pal George Clooney in Michael Clayton. My personal Hall of Fame for Pollack the thespian came on the last season of The Sopranos when Pollack played Dr. Warren Feldman, a trustee in jail for murdering his wife, and then her aunt and the mailman because he "had to fully commit.''
Still, it's Pollack's work as a director that gave him the most satisfaction. Until his cancer diagnosis nine months ago, he had planned to direct HBO's smart, funny Recount, which debuted this weekend. Strangely enough, for all the awards heaped on Pollack for Out of Africa, I always found his The Way We Were the superior romance. Every Sex and the City fan remembers Carrie and her friends watching the end of that weepie where Barbra Streisand stands in front of Manhattan's Plaza Hotel and brushes the hair off of Robert Redford's forehead before she says goodbye to him for the last time. Carrie even re-enacted that moment with Big in front of the Plaza. And for suspense with a political bite, no 1970's paranoid thriller, with the possible exception of Alan J. Pakula's The Parallax View, can beat Pollack's Three Days of the Condor, with Redford starring as a CIA operative who begins questioning his motives in a post-Watergate America.
Still, there's no better way to honor Pollack's talent than by taking a look at a few of his movies (on DVD) that didn't have the highest profile. I'd start with these:
They Shoot Horses, Don't They (1969): It's the tale of a bruising 1930's dance marathon viewed as a microcosm of a world spinning out of control. After his potent work in This Property Is Condemned (1966) and The Scalphunters (1968), Pollack saw Horses put Jane Fonda on the map as a serious actress and win him his first Oscar nomination for directing.
Jeremiah Johnson (1972): The second of the seven Pollack movies that starred his friend Robert Redford, including the misbegotten Havana. This western, shot in the Sundance Kid's Utah backyard, has grown in resonance with the years. Redford's mountain man is one of the indelible roles of his career.
The Yakuza (1974): A totally underrated pulsepounder in which Pollack brings out the best in old lion Robert Mitchum as an American taking on the Japan's mafia. Working from a script by a pre-Chinatown Robert Towne and a pre-Taxi Driver Paul Schrader, Pollack is at his stinging toughest.
Absence of Malice (1981): Despite Pollack's energetic direction, I had qualms about this film on its first release. But the story about a journalist (Sally Field) being fed a bill of goods by the feds to put the squeeze on a person of interest (an outstanding Paul Newman) has killer reverbs for the present. Once again, Pollack is ahead of his time.
Sketches of Frank Gehry (2006): A documentary about the great architect Frank Gehry with interviews conducted by Pollack, who's known him for years. Instead of treading easy, Pollack uses Gehry and the documentary form to investigate the highs and lows of the artistic process and ends up revealing much about himself as well. The heart of Pollock resides in this movie.
Now I'd like to hear what sticks with you the most about the films of Sydney Pollack.
[Photo: Getty]
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Cathy | February 1, 2009 4:20 AM
I've watched a number of his movies of late and they were all great (thanks to great story lines and great acting from Robert Redford). The interviews of him were most revealing of his character, always of his intelligence and eloquence, heart and humour. I would have loved to have had a chat with him over coffee.
TOP SECRET | December 31, 2008 2:49 AM
I met sydney pollack he looked depressed now i know why, i worked for a moving company that relocated his business in hollywood, we managed to srape, scratch, and break some of his furniture, like his conference table deep gouch on top, his leather couch mean deep smudges etc... he was calm and cool about the whole siruation, nice mellow definately cool guy we managed to take pictures of his damages we got him sitting on the leather couch, he was cool about it he made sarcastic comments, damn that sucks he passed i actualy feel bad about his passing, i had cancer and i lived damn, RIP SYNDEY POLLACK the last movie he directed the story of Frank Gherry well we moved his company too and still do small projects for his company known for the bonacullar building he designed and had built in santa monica......
Scarface | August 13, 2008 5:09 PM
One of Sydney Pollack's best performances was in his own movie,Tootsie in which he played Dustin Hoffman's manager.
Greg | July 11, 2008 10:16 PM
Pollacks acting in "The Sopranos" and "Michael Clayton" was brilliant and seemingly effortless.
jack english | July 1, 2008 7:48 PM
a wonderful talent, & a nice/good man.....jack english II.........bev hills
flyinstew | June 3, 2008 5:45 PM
A huge loss. I enjoyed his work-immensely! Rest in peace-Syd!
Angela | June 3, 2008 5:06 PM
Thank you James, I thought Sabrina was wonderful too. Sydney Pollack was fantastic at illustrating a romantic story. Also, his thriller 'Three days of the Condor' was a tense 'edge of the seat' movie in its day.
Thank you Mr Pollack for sharing your vision and leaving us the gift of your films. Sadly, there are to be no more.
God bless your family.
Linda Lucas | May 31, 2008 7:56 PM
I had heard that he was dying a while ago but when i saw him in Made of Honor last week i hoped what i heard earlier had been wrong.
So when he passed away it was a very sad day indeed. He seemed liked an all round good guy. Enjoy his acting and the movies he directed. My condolences to his family and anyone he knew personally.
Scottish Thistle | May 31, 2008 4:55 AM
Sydney Pollock had style in bucket loads, which he brought out in his actors - Redford, Streep, Fonda, Streisand all blossomed with him at the helm. A greatly missed talent to world cinema.
jimmy | May 29, 2008 9:47 PM
thanks for the great films sidney pollack
Savon | May 29, 2008 5:21 PM
Thank you for reminding readers of Sketches of Frank Gehry. I saw this documentary at the Bijou Theater in Iowa City, and the screening was followed by a panel discussion with University of Iowa faculty and staff who talked about the building Gehry designed on the UI campus. I have no background in architecture, but I enjoyed watching how Gehry works. I'll also remember Pollack as a producer of the wonderful film The Fabulous Baker Boys.
Adguy | May 29, 2008 3:40 PM
His explosion to Hoffman in Tootsie, 'You were a tomato!' ranks as one of my favourite lines and deliveries in celluloid history. Huge loss for the film community to paraphrase Clooney.
American FIlm/Theatre Nut | May 29, 2008 4:32 AM
As an actor and director, he was a direct descendent of the great artists of the 30s and 50s. He carried the torch in turn and showed new generations what truly great acting and storytelling is supposed to look (and feel) like.
Theatre and Film are oral traditions, and he was a great teacher.
Virginia | May 29, 2008 12:10 AM
Goodbye Sydney!
Kathryn71 | May 29, 2008 12:02 AM
I saw Horses when I was twelve (three years ago). It is still among the most unsettling movies I've ever seen. I had nary an idea films could be like that until I saw it. Not every director can take claim to something like that.
memories | May 28, 2008 7:44 PM
As a kid, I had no understanding of the deeper warning "Horses" was about. Yet, even if the meaning of the message was lost on me, the severity was not. I can remember the intensity of that movie and I get chills thinking about those images in my head. I was more stirred by those people walking around a track to music than any juvenile action movie or chaotic cartoon, even at that young age.
mcfisto | May 28, 2008 6:30 PM
what I will remember most is that it seemed like he was in everything- played Eric McCormack's dad (brialliantly)in Will and Grace, and was also briefly in Entourage (playing himself). I am sure there are many others I can't recall. Maybe I never saw Tootsie as brialliant because it came out when I was young, but now I have seen the light. (I would agree that deserved Best Pic, and maybe for best supporting actor for Mr. Pollack-although Bill Murray was great in his role). They don't seem to make 'em like that now.
batlantern_87aka travis | May 28, 2008 5:51 PM
to me three days of the condor is his best work. Not in classical sence i guess, tootsie is great, out of africa is great, the way we were is great. Condor just seemed like it was something new. I was not alive when it came out but it seems like every film i have watched from that time has a very common formula where as that one seemed to think outside the box. Redford was great because he had a friend directing him. His work as an actor is nothing to shrug off either. I thought he was Great In Clayton. He will be missed by me no one could do legal thrillers like him.
Casablanca | May 28, 2008 4:27 PM
Other great lines of Sydney's in Tootsie:
When Dustin screams about getting out of the role or getting another agent, Sydney says "what? you're hurting my feelings."
I also liked Sydney's reaction when Dustin told him about the marriage offer and ring from Lester. "So, what did you say?"
And Sydney's face during Dustin's confusing lines about the actress thinking he's a lesbian and the best friend's thinking he's gay. Priceless.
we'll miss you, SP
Juan Carlo | May 28, 2008 12:43 PM
I made my own little homage to him on my blog. He always had this aura of a good guy, and I loved the way his movies touch human relationships so well. This guy must have been a wonderful friend and an even better family man --I can BELIEVE every interaction between characters. I will miss seeing him. Now can someone tell me WHY his last acting will be in MADE OF HONOR???!!!
Will | May 28, 2008 10:52 AM
I'm glad Dak brought up DEATH BECOMES HER. That's when I first became aware of Sydney. Watching him and Streep play off each other is absolutely hilarious.
"That BONE protrusion through the skin - that's, that's not a good sign."
Paul | May 28, 2008 10:21 AM
Some of my very early movie memories as a child are of watching Sydney Pollack films. From Tootsie (hands down one THE funniest comedies of all time) to The Way We Were (a sweeping romantic love story) to Three Days of the Condor (intelligent well-made thriller that stands as one of his best), he symbolized what emotionally informed, smart, character driven filmmaking can be. As it has been said many times over, he was a class act and set a standard that filmmakers & producers alike continue to emulate.
They Shoot Horses, Don't They and Absence of Malice are undiscovered gems. And, as an actor he did have it in spades. His turn in Husbands and Wives is brilliant.
It comes as a shock to loose both Sydney and Anthony Minghella so early and so close together because they both gave and had so much left to give. They both had an eye for great storytelling and sadly will be missed.
blake | May 28, 2008 10:04 AM
his work in Eyes Wide Shut and Michael Clayton just made the movies better, plain and simple. The best scenes in Michael Clayton are between him and Clooney. Just a total natural. Just one of those actors I enjoy listening to his voice and the way he talks. He was so good at playing a character who appeared to be a great guy, but underneath there was something darker.
Karoline | May 28, 2008 3:14 AM
I am at a loss for words really. They did not come any better. It's a tragic loss for the film industry.He personified class. His ability to be marinated in so many different ways in film was rare. There will never be the likes of him again. He was one of a kind. Rest in Peace Mr Pollock you will truly missed.
kirk maillet | May 28, 2008 2:12 AM
my sympathy to his family & his friend Robert Redford. All my impressions of SP & RR are wonderful. A life well lives..
KUDOS & sadness. No suffer I hop
Sam | May 28, 2008 1:43 AM
I met him. He was kind, generous and made me feel as though I was the only person in the room. He took the time. He was a rare gentleman.
Brett | May 28, 2008 12:52 AM
I'm sad to learn of his passing. I spent tonight watching "Out of Africa."
On a professional note, this is one of the most poorly written RS articles I have ever seen. It's filled with errors that came from rushed writing to get the piece out. Remember him humbly, RS; take the time to write the piece he deserves.
sandy Barrett | May 27, 2008 11:37 PM
sydney pollack, not stanley - guess i am more upset at his passing I can't even remember his name.
sorry
Hannah | May 27, 2008 11:31 PM
I'll never forget him in "Husbands and Wives." The scene where he humiliates his younger date at a party is brutal and chilling. He wasn't afraid to show us the worst in the human condition. That he ends up back with his sour wife (Judy Davis) at the end of the film is a sublime bit of cosmic justice. Obviously he was a fantastic director, but it was always nice to see him in front of the camera too. The "therapy" comment in Tootsie is classic--one of the best line deliveries of all time.
We'll miss you, Syd!
Liz | May 27, 2008 11:27 PM
Being a true movie buff for many years I can't begin to express how briliantly Mr. Pollack was able to capture the 3 great loves that are alive in "Out of Africa", love of country (land), romantic love, and love of friend (loyal servant and companion), plus the longing of a woman who knows herself and yet is just a woman, in the end, who can never have a child. How did he know women so well? This is my all time favorite movie and he my all time favorite director and a natural actor. This planet is richer for his having been among us!
Sandy Barrett | May 27, 2008 11:15 PM
What really got me to have a greater experience of Stanley Pollack was his documentary about Frank Gehry. You saw him not in an acting role but in developing the story of his friend's great work. It showed him as sensitive and warm human being, to add on to his greatness as a director and actor.
It is a great loss. I will miss him.
M. Martin | May 27, 2008 10:37 PM
Hard to settle on a standout in Pollack's impressive collection but "The Way We Were" has to go down as an all-time favorite. And his personal charm and charisma were palpable in his acting. I loved Clooney's comment that Pollack made the world a little better, made movies a little better and even made dinner a little better. What a perfect way to sum it all up. As an actor and writer myself I'm sad to know I'll never have the chance to sit and talk and pick his brain. A true loss for those of us who grew up with and love the magic of moviemaking.
todd Malta | May 27, 2008 10:21 PM
Sydney was a great tipper. i have seen it on many occaisions. that valet is full of S or scratched his ferarri
Huntsville | May 27, 2008 10:19 PM
I was very much entertained, for many years and many movies. What incredible skill, presence, and vision. He will be missed.
Adam W. Kelley | May 27, 2008 10:11 PM
I was a big fan of all the previously mentioned films that he both acted in and directed. I think it should also be noted that Mr. Pollack also gave us the definitive PSA addressing talking on your cell phone while watching a movie in a theater. "I'm sorry, is my directing interfering with your phone call? How rude of me!" He will be missed.
Christian | May 27, 2008 10:05 PM
I admit to being more of a fan of Pollack's acting rather than directing, but when he was good, he was in the top ranks. My top faves, both as actor and director:
They Shoot Horses- What an amazing film, and such a gem of acting from Jane Fonda. The ending never fails to shock me. On the cutting edge as much today as it was then. Pollack referred to it as a "young man's film," and it is, but what a heart and soul.
Three Days of the Condor- Catch it if you can, because Redford was rarely better. Great title too. Pollack builds tension and releases it in a climax that is classic
Tootsie- A twofer! Great acting as the agent- "God, I begged you to get some therapy" is one of my all time favorite lines- and his direction is practically flawless.
Husbands and Wives- Where to start? How about "I want a woman who digs her nails into my back and SCREAMS when I fuck her!" or how about "I should never, never drink at lunch." or best of all, the break in to his own house where he confronts his wife and her new lover while his young dalliance is forced to wait outside? Classic Woody Allen made so by a monumental Pollack performance.
Jeremiah Johnson- This one just seems to get better every year. Redford was never better and Pollack nailed a tricky subject (American Indian vs Settler attitudes) with balance and clarity. That aspect was Pollack's signature: See both sides, and let the audience make up their own minds. A great loss to the art of cinema
Gloria K Resnick | May 27, 2008 9:54 PM
For me, he was the premier delineator of the evolving "new woman". "Out of Africa", "The Way We Were", and "Tootsie" are prime examples of his willingness and cunning to recognize the newly evolving female. What a loss for all of us.
lg jimenez | May 27, 2008 9:41 PM
while i am unfamiliar with pollack as a director, i've caught glimpses of him as an actor, mainly in Michael Clayton and Eyes Wide Shut.
He is invaluable in Clayton: tough, no-bullshit, umbending, smart and still sympathetic towards Clooney's dire situation.
And in EWS he finds a way to play his warm, congenial persona while still fitting into the madness and mayhem of Kubrick's vision.
I also (barely) remember him in Altman's The Player, where he again gives authority a human, real face.
Truly a talented man, he'll be missed.
Drew | May 27, 2008 8:40 PM
I valet parked his car once, and im sad to say, he didn't tip.
James | May 27, 2008 8:39 PM
He directed one of my favorite movies, Sabrina, and I didn't even know it until he died. His movies always entertained you and moved you and made you think. You can't do better than that.
kmshft | May 27, 2008 8:25 PM
What a strong and generous personality! Of course, I love Tootsie! I recently rented Frank Gehry and loved it! Also the same for Breaking and Entering. Really enjoyed The Firm when it came out. Out of Africa in '85. I usually saw his films - even the 90's duds. Assuming they would be good cause Sydney was involved in them! Honeysuckle Rose. I wish I knew he was struggling with cancer these last 9 months. It would have made the shocking blow yesterday a little less. I am fortunate to have been able to work with him and will miss him fondly...Keep in touch. Open the dialogue...what did you think? kamshaft@rocketmail.com
mfr | May 27, 2008 8:16 PM
I have watched all of the films that Mr Pollack has acted in and directed. I have been an abiding fan. I am so sad for his loss. It seemed clear through his interviews, and his work that he was warm, thoughtful, true to great ideas and feelings, interested in meaningful work, impassioned about helping others, and a generous mentor and loyal friend. I know he will be deeply missed. I hope the honorings for him will come frequently and with generosity. mfr
Charlottesgram | May 27, 2008 8:04 PM
What a mensch! One of the good guys. He WILL be missed
DAK | May 27, 2008 7:15 PM
Couldn't believe it. That guy still had loads of great work to offer, I'm positive of it. Honestly, we've been robbed.
P.S.- I'm a huge fan of his acting as well; one of my favorite comic bits EVER was his single scene from 'Death Becomes Her'- just remembering his reaction to Meryl Streep's physical state gets me laughing to tears.